"What is wrong with you mate!!! I thought you were here with Hermione?!" Harry was yelling at Fred unable to believe his eyes. How could Fred do that?
"Harry you have to listen to me!! You've got to understand please!" Fred looked frantic on the verge of tears?
"What were you thinking Fred?" Mrs. Weasley was going to give her son a beating he would never forget.
"Ok listen all of you. One moment I was watching Hermione dance with Malfoy then I turned to talk to Ron for a moment, just a few minutes the next thing I know Hermione is dragging me away! I don't know how she got away from Malfoy so fast but I swear I saw Hermione, when I came in here, and we started to, you know, well I thought it was Hermione..." Fred knew it sounded a bit fishy but it was the truth, he would never do that, ever! He was not like Ron and he cared deeply for Hermione.
"You sound a bit off, have you been drinking mate?" That was George looking sideways at him, it seemed George had a bit to drink already.
"No I haven't. I swear it is the truth. I would never hurt her..." Fred gave a deep sigh as his family regarded him suspiciously.
"I think he's telling the truth." That was Ron who had come out of no where, "No one would do such a thing when that girl looked like a vision of a pure angel, and Fred has that look in his eye Mum. I think he's in love with her."
Mrs. Weasley looked closely at Fred as Harry and Ginny looked at each other and shrugged. "Your right dear, it seems our little Fred is all grown up and has found that specail someone. What are you going to do now?"
"Well I have to go find her, I can't just leave her thinking I was snogging Kate here."
"And why not?!? Come off it Fred, you know you fancy me. Why would you chose that bookworm over me?" Everyone in the room turned glares to daggers upon looking at Kate whilst Ron stood there smiling like an idiot.
"I have to go!" Fred ran out of the room as he called back, "Wish me luck!" Then he apparated to the place he would figure she would be, Hogwarts? His shop? Muggle london? Her Mum's House? The Burrow then her apartment where he stayed hoping she would come home soon so he could beg her forgiveness. Contemplating how on earth he could have mistaken Kate for Hermione he fell asleep hugging her pilliow.
Meanwhile...
"Another Vodka please." Hermione and Draco had arrived at some unknown wizard's bar exactly an hour ago to sit down and drink, no talking at first until Hermione had drunk six shots of Fire Whiskey and two shots of Vodka.
Drowning his own shot of Vodka, Draco glanced at Hermione who was staring up at him with a strange smile plastered on her face.
"You know Draco that I kissed Fred? After I'd kissed you but kissy just...hehe," Hermione giggled as her head colaspsed in her arms, too much alcohol consumption after one hour was bound to turn Hermione into... an open book. Her aptitude to keep much of her grammar in tack even when she was drunk was amazing.
"Granger?" Draco shook her gently, he couldn't believe how little alcohol it actually took to get her drunk, he was sure she had been drunk after two shots but she insisted on more, trying to drown sorrows of a broken heart. Hermione still didn't stir and Draco bent down closer to her calling her name first as Granger then as Hermione.
"Yessums?" Hermione was slurring her speech even worse as she opened her eyes to find Draco very close, unusually close, righly close... "Draco..."
"I, uh thought you'd passed out Granger. You know you can't hold alcohol whatsoever. Why did you want to come to the bar with me anyway, you should have just listened to what the bloody Weasel had to say." Draco was angry but mostly with himself for being so weak, he was a Malfoy and Malfoy's weren't nice, if they were they wanted something otherwise it would be out of character.
"I...err..." Hermione started to sob as twenty people turned to see what all the commotion was about and Draco turned a blood Crimson.
"Hermione please don't cry... Come on, let's go for a walk." Draco picked up the sobbing girl and limped her out the door right before she had the chance to get sick by the building. A bit annoyed Draco held her hair back as the young 'brightest' witch of her age emptied her guts.
"I think I should go home." Hermione stuttered standing up as Draco handed her a cloth to wipe any mess she had on her face before looking at her. Even if she was totally smashed, just thrown her breakfast, dinner and supper up, and in an emotional wreak there was still something about her that was attractive. When you can find a person in a mess like that in the least attractive you must have something wrong with your brain, or perhaps its...
"Right, could I walk or rather accompany you back?" Draco didn't know why he was being nice, he should just abandon her there leaving her for some bloke to find, but perhaps it is better to play with your food first before eating it.
"Thanks..." Taking a step forward Hermione nearly tumbled into the on coming traffic just as Draco caught her and told her to hold on whilst they walked down the street in the fresh air to a small coffee shop.
"This might help, just try not to throw it up ok?" Draco handed Hermione a triple-triple steaming hot. Hermione just nodded and took it without a word, Draco still had his arm around her waist to keep her steady on her feet walking through the quiet park to the fountain in the middle to stop and sit.
Hermione looked sideways at Draco as he sat there with his arm around here. Great first I run out on Fred and jump to horrible conclusions even though that is logical considering what I saw, and then I end up in a quiet park in the dead of night totally smashed and Malfoy as company... Brightest Witch of My Age indeed. Even if his soft pink lips against his pale white skin do looking inviting... or that thoughtful look in his eyes when he thinks no one is watching... or his kindness when no one is around but me... How dreadful why am I picking up for him... furthermore why am I ARGUEING with myself?!?
Draco gazed up at the stars as his mind drifted into his ravine of pleasure where no pain could reach him. Once more he questioned his intensions, his emotions, his revenge, and his father's death. His father had never been the ideal father, not like Weasel's father...How unfair is it that a blood traitor is loved no matter his grades or mistakes whilst I try everything to impress my own father and get the cane instead of a word of love. Sure my father was not kind, nor loving, nor really a father but what had consituted his death by a mudblood no less... a cute mudblood... a beautiful, smart, wonderful, silly mudblood... a... What is the matter with me, it seems my aunt Bellatrix wasn't the only one prone to insanity in the family, I think I've got a dash of it as well.
Sitting there in silence both sides contemplated their strange emotions, new found feelings that may end up being stronger then their absolute hate for one another. A love-hate relationship, they weren't even friends so why were they here in the middle of the night, enjoying-no- tolerating the other's company? Perhaps it was because they sought out someone who might understand their hurt, their lonliness, and their regrets, perhaps it was some plan to hurt one another, perhaps it was just karma. Do you believe in fate?
"Hermione," Draco had snapped back to reality about an hour after they'd first arrived and sat down when a sudden question plagued him, "Why'd you let Pansy marry Ron? You of all people have to know that he wasn't in his right mind."
Hermione looked at him a bit surprised he would bring up the wedding and the strange match that had been made. Bitting her lip as she thought it over she came up with an answer, well a half answer, "I had to let him marry her, it was his choice. I respect that, I love Ron too much to deny possible happiness to him even if he was not in his right mind. I would never take something or someone that someone loved. Not intensionally, not without a strong disagreement in my heart, I never want to hurt anyone, I never want them to feel or experience loss." Draco stared at her shocked. His revenge was for one purpose wasn't it? Was it? Did he need this? "I think I should get home, I'm feeling a bit better, at least my head isn't swimming anymore. Thanks Draco for everything."
"I'll apparate you home, I don't think you could handle it, you know you drank quiet a lot for a girl who gets drunk VERY easily." Hermione blushed remembering her vomitting and strange rantings earlier only able to nodd in response to Draco's offer. And so Draco held her tight as she closed her eyes and time and space spun around them throwing them through to Hermione's flat. Opening their eyes they realized they were in the living room on the couch that a week ago they had kissed... Kissed their enemy, sworn to hate each other forever.
"Well isn't this just awkward?" Hermione commented as she took her head off Draco's chest to look up at him but he was too close, always too close and she couldn't help but think of the fire that was missing in both Ron and Fred's intimate kisses.
Draco stared down at the know it all feeling her breathing tickle his face as his eyes rested upon hers, those brown orbs of chocolate in which he had hated for so long, was repulsed by for so long but in this moment, this moment of indecision he was drawn in.
Hermione tore her eyes away from his and looked down but his hand came up and jerked her head up again so he was gazing in her eyes once more as if saying how dare you look away from me? She knew she would not be able to contain her hormones must longer, thats all it was, wasn't it? Lust, not love, or like, or friendship just lust. Lust was fickle, and she loved Ron? Fred? Love came in time, and she hated Draco, she always would, this just wouldn't work no matter what because the furthest they could go was lust. Love was never an option, although her booming heart dared to protest a little she shoved its shouts away.
Draco became annoyed when she tore her eyes away from his, how dare she deprive him of those orbs of compassion, such a drink he had never drunk, such a drink was never offered to him before. Staring down into her eyes once more an overwhelming leap of joy flip his heart in a million directions, he had an overwhelming urge to kiss her, or perhaps just hold her. This was desire, not love, this was lust, not love, this was want, not love, this was the result of lonliness, not love, no most surely not love, never would he love a mudblood... especailly one that had killed his father, one that had taken everything from him.
"Draco..."
That word, his name was so soft when it came from her lips, he moaned as the effect of a simple name became worse then that of a love spell. Emotions flickered through her eyes, confusion, understanding, pity, compassion, and every emotion she showed Draco took into himself filling the hole which had once plagued his heart. Then a new feeling he had not felt for a long time, not since...
"I have to go, Granger." Groaning he stood and started for the door when Hermione called out to him.
"Draco, I... Thank you... see you at the office then." Disappointed at his sudden distance from her she tried a weak smile, he had turned when she called to him and seeing the strange look of disappointment on her face made him want to turn back and run to her, but he couldn't he wouldn't she was his toy nothing more... Without another word he walked out the door and Hermione stood walking to her room to find...
"FRED?! What are you doing here?" Fred was now awake at her sudden outburst as she came into her room happening upon him sleeping with her pilliow in his arms and her picture held tightly in her hands.
"Oh Hermione! Please you've got to listen to me! I have to explain please," He was begging her as he stood up from her bed discarding her pillow but keeping the picture. Hermione looked at him in shock, what did he want, she did not feel like dealing with him at the moment but she supposed she could listen to his side of the story, it should be amusing in the least, so she shut the door and sat on her bed awaiting.
"What you saw, isn't what I was seeing. I saw you get up with Malfoy and dance, I was so jealous but it was fair I knew because I had danced with Kate and so I watched you float through the room wishing it was me... Then Ron came over and talked to me for a few minutes, when I turned around-" Fred looked nervously at the ground wringing his hands.
"You saw Kate and fingured it would be great revenge to snog her senseless?" Hermione snapped irritated, he had hurt her after all.
"NO!! Actually I saw you, and then you were dragging me off to a deserted room and Kate had some how, sometime started to dance with Malfoy. I didn't even get a chance to ask what happened when well you, or rather she started to kiss me and take off my clothes, I was shocked it seemed so unlike you, although a lot like her, I was confused. I even took a second and third glance to make sure it was you I was kissing and I swear I saw you!"
"What are you getting on with Fred?! Everyone saw you go off with Kate! It makes no sense." Hermione was appauled he would come up with such a dim witted excuse, then it dawned on her, something she had read in a book called, "Trickory Charms for the best and worst situations" It was a charm called reversailla, a swamping charm. You would chose your victim and for that one person you could change two people's identities, but who? "Fred... I, I believe you. I read about a charm like that once... but why didn't you try to come find me?"
"I did 'Mione! I swear I looked everywhere I could think of but when I couldn't find you I came here to wait for you. I knew you'd have to go to bed sometime..."
-0-
I can't leave like this, I've got to go back. Walking into Hermione's apparentment I notice she isn't in the living room and so I walk towards the hallway to find her room and I hear voices, one that belongs to Hermione and the other...
"I did 'Mione! I swear I looked everywhere I could think of but when I couldn't find you I came here to wait for you. I knew you'd have to go to bed sometime..."
"Oh Fred its alright, I'm so sorry I didn't just listen to you!" Hermione's voice was concerned, perhaps even loving and this sent Draco's blood to boil.
"I would never do anything to hurt you 'Mione... I care for you too much, I would never." Hermione was shhing him now. Draco could see it in his mind, Hermione holding the bloody Weasel, stroking his hair, kissing his forhead...
"I know Fred, don't worry. It's going to be alright, I care deeply for you too."
She cared for that... that WEASEL! She had been playing with him too, and to think that he had come back here, that he had thought! She was going to pay twice over now, he was going to make her miserable, push her to the edge of death. She would DIE of a broken heart...
Walking out the door he slammed it angrily.
-0-
Holding Fred like that only led her thoughts back to Draco, she couldn't deny it, she did have feelings for the blonde, she couldn't help it. Stroking Fred's hair, she knew she loved Fred, she knew that she wouldn't mind spending the rest of her life with him, she knew she would be content to live with him but she also knew she would always have an empty part of herself that was reserved...
Fred was lulled to sleep just as Hermione heard the door slam, laying Fred on the bed she walked out of the room to her door opening it just in time to see Draco's figure receeding int he darkness... Had he heard? Perhaps he thought that Fred and she, but that was just it wasn't it, she was with Fred... She would not hurt Fred, she couldn't hurt him but in doing so she would take away her prince, her dreams, her future... How had something so right went so wrong, and when did such hatred transend to such pure love? Hermione was about to call out his name but all she could manage was a whisper, knowing that it would never work, it was better this way anyway, after all she had killed his father and never forgiven herself for it. She had taken away his family, his smug self, and in doing so he was left with nothing...
It was just better this way... No one would get hurt on her watch ever again... Walking back into her appartment unable to look into her living room she returned to the bedroom where Fred was sitting up regarding her with a strange look.
"I love you." Fred whispered as Hermione joined him on the bed and her lips captured his in a graceful tenderness. Fred was a bit surprised but soon responded with passion and added love, this was heaven for him this was all he needed to survive.
As the moon gazed into the room it saw Hermione give herself into selfless love, delivering her body with half a heart to a man who revelled in her existance. It was a true vision of how love is, and yet something was missing, and yet again she would be content with it all.
"I love you too Fred-" was the last whisper he heard before engulfing her in his kisses, body, and love.
-0-